10 Ways To Upgrade Your Mom's Ride This Mother's Day

Mother’s Day approaches, and you need to get her something, or she’ll tell you that it’s okay in that way that makes you feel horrible because you know that it’s definitely not okay. You might not have any clue as to what she wants or needs, because she refuses to tell anybody and is impossible to read in this manner, so you’d be better off coming up with the gift that you think she’ll like, but would have never thought of.

What you know is cars, and she drives, so there’s your cross-over point. You can give her a gift that is genuine and from you, not some generic Mother’s Day display at Macy’s, and we can help you choose something she’ll actually like and use. It’s a win-win.

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Price: $60 to $800

If you’re a 20-something, you probably move so much that there are a number of boxes you just don’t bother to unpack anymore. This means that when your mom comes to visit, she doesn’t know where she’s going, and when she doesn't know where she’s going, she gets cranky. Cranky moms don’t make for fun visits, so get her a GPS that can know where she’s going for her.

Price: $119.88 to $199.00 per year

Whatever is on the radio probably kinda sucks. Either that or it is decent but is quickly being overplayed into sucktitude by lazy DJs. If your mom’s car is relatively new, you can give it a big upgrade by getting her a satellite radio subscription, where she can pick whatever weird niche station she likes best and rock out to it all day every day.

Price: $200

If your mom is anything like my mom, this is the thing on this list she’d like the most. My mom drives a brown Fiat 500 convertible that she refers to as “the espresso machine.” Help her get her coffee fix at any time, in any place, with her favorite roast with an in-car espresso maker. You’ll have a happy mom.

Price: $85 to $400

Your mom is, most likely, the person who taught you to abhor filth. That said, there’s still a good chance that her car might just be tidy, rather than clean. Make every surface, inside and out, look as good as it can with a professional detailing job at a local shop.

Price: $100 to $350

Tread carefully here. If you mom hasn’t expressed any interest in these or complained about rear visibility, this could be construed as a “you're getting old” statement, and that’s not what a Mother’s Day gift should say. If she does like to complain about rear visibility, because the belt-lines of today’s cars are so bloody high, this could certainly make her a little happier just about every day.

Price: How much do you want to spend?

Most moms aren’t going to bother with upgrading their car audio, even if they really do enjoy their tunes. Don’t let her keep rolling around listening to weak and rattling stock speakers. Upgrade her sound system for her, and be sure to follow our handy guide.

Price: $100 to $300 plus $100 to $200 installation

Does your mom live in a place where the weather is ever unbearable? Unless she’s in one of a few spots along the California coast, the answer is a firm “yes.” Help her avoid the misery of a sweltering hot car or painfully cold car with a remote start kit that will get her A/C or heat going before she puts ass to seat.

Price: $3 to $60

Unless your mom is one of the three Americans who don’t have a smartphone, she’ll get good use out of this. After all, the phone is a magical device in the car that can do everything from navigation to DJ-duty to track day data collection, but if it’s not handy this isn't terribly useful. Also, if you mom has a track day data collection app, she’s a total badass, and you can tell her we said so.

Price: $89.99

What happened when you moved out and your mom was dealing with being an empty nester? A dog. She probably immediately replaced you with a Pomeranian named “Phillip.” You’ve grown to like Phillip, even if mom seems to be loving him more than she ever loved you, and you’d hate for him to get hurt. A restraining harness is a good idea to keep the furball safe should an accident occur, but the pitfalls are many here.

When Subaru tested pet restraints, it was found that many of them do more harm than good, or simply just disintegrate in an accident and do nothing at all. The SleepyPod Clickit Utility Harness, however, was shown to genuinely help pets stay safe in the car.

Price: $20 to $150

If your mom lives somewhere that gets even remotely cold, and you’re too poor to spring for a remote start kit, get her a heated seat cover. It will be a great accessory that she can use to warm up and a perfect opportunity for her to make a snide comment along the lines of “well I could have used this three months ago, but it’s the thought that counts.” Isn’t that what Mother’s Day is all about?

If you want to drop a larger amount on this, you can get one that cools as well, in case your mom has already made the senior’s holy pilgrimage to Sun City, Ariz.